Plantinga Chapter Five

Chapter Five basically explained the Christian college student's role in the world - both present and future. Plantinga addressed the issue of vocation by defining it as the ways we further God's Kingdom here, now, on Earth. Thus, our career is not our full vocation, but only a part of it. If there's one thing I can say for Plantinga, it's that he gets quite passionate about this subject (and about the future of Calvin students and Heaven in the Epilogue too).

What I really liked about the chapter was a quote Plantinga used by Frederick Buechner: "The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." I think that's a beautiful way of addressing the issue of vocation because it shows the way our lives should be. Certainly, this is what I myself hope (and long) for, that I can be glad in serving some great need in the world. The quote also doesn't have the audacity to try and set up certain rules to follow to get to that point, but instead gives us the freedom to find our own way, to make mistakes, to learn and grow and be tested. I don't think anyone gets to that point (if anyone ever does) without deviating from the path they set out from in the beginning. When I started out as a Freshman I never thought I would drop out of my first university, leave the state for six months, come to Calvin, and now live in Project Neighborhood and about to live in Honduras for the semester. I thought I was just going to get my degree and then start my life. But instead I went through a lot of hardships and unexpected situations, and found that I was already living my life.

I think it's important to recognize and internalize just how important it is to pursue what you love doing. Maybe that sounds cheezy, but I'm surprised at how many of my friends are going to college to get a degree in something they don't even like doing so that they can be rich, because they think that's the best way to live. As for me (and I'm not saying everyone should live this way) I want to live a simple life, a traveler's life, and I want to bring justice to people who can't get it on their own because the systems oppressing them are just too big to fight against alone. Everything else (and that plan too) I'm trusting to God to provide.